Judd Hirsch returns to TV in new ABC drama

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 12:00 AM

Judd Hirsch on stage during the "Forever" panel at the Disney/ABC Television Group 2014 Summer TCA at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Judd Hirsch is going from the ridiculous to the sublime in his newest TV roles.

The 79-year-old actor best known for "Taxi" appears in "Sharknado 2: The Second One," about sharks unleashed on New York City airing July 30 on Syfy.

"They told me I was going to be eaten by a shark," he said. "I said, 'I'm in.' "

Hirsch's regular gig will be co-starring on the ABC series "Forever" that begins with a sneak preview on Sept. 22. He plays the best friend and confidant of Dr. Henry Morgan, the medical examiner in New York City who has immortality. Only Hirsch's character, Abe, knows his friend's secret.

"Every once in a while, the intelligence of a show just grabs me," Hirsch said Tuesday at the summer TV critics' tour. "To be able to develop a character, that's a gift in television. To be associated with an experience that is unusual, a life that never seems to end, it's always something to think about."

The TV role is Hirsch's first regular one since his five-year run on "Numb3rs" four years ago.